NATURAL HISTORY. 103 



ihose animals which are his enemies, or which are in- 

 dependent, that his courage shines forth, that his un- 

 derstanding is displayed, and that his natural and ac- 

 quired talents are united. As soon as the sound of 

 the horn, or the voice of the huntsman, has given the 

 signal of an approaching war, transported with fresh 

 ardour, the dog expresses his joy, and shews by his 

 motions, and cries of impatience, his desire to combat 

 and to conquer. Then,, in silence, he investigates the 

 traces of his enemy, and, by different cries, indicates 

 the time, the distance, the species, and even the age 

 of his prey. 



In deserts and depopulated countries, there are wild 

 dogs, which in their manner differ only from wolves 

 by the facility with which they are tamed. They 

 unite also in large troops, to hunt and attack by force 

 wild boars and bulls, and even lions and ticers. In 



O 



America, the wild dogs spring from a breed anciently 

 domestic, having been transported from Europe ; and 

 having been either forgotten or abandoned in these 

 deserts, are multiplied to such a degree that they go 

 in troops to inhabited places, where they attack the 

 cattle, and sometimes even insult the inhabitants. 

 They are then obliged to drive them away by force, 

 and to kill them like other ferocious animals ; and in 

 fact, dogs are such till they become acquainted with 

 man. When, however, we approach them with gen- 

 tleness, they soon become familiar, and remain faith- 

 fully attached to their masters. The wolf, on the 

 other hand, although taken young, and bred in the 

 house, is only gentle in his youth, for he never loses 

 his desire for prey, and sooner or later he gives himself 

 up to his fondness for rapine and destruction. 

 Vol I. A a 



